A councillor who called British soldiers “hired killers” is facing disciplinary action from his own party.

The Green Party yesterday confirmed they will start a disciplinary process after Councillor Ben Duncan made his controversially tweet during Armed Forces Day.

In the tweet he stated: “Armed Forces Day has certainly brought the hired killers on to the streets of #Brighton today. Hard to explain to my son”.

A spokesman for the Green Party said: “In light of the Twitter comments made by Councillor Ben Duncan on Saturday, the Green Party of Brighton and Hove has started a formal disciplinary process.

“A panel will now be formed to determine what, if any, further action is warranted.”

Coun Duncan has faced calls to resign after a series of controversial tweets – including false allegations of a councillor wearing a swastika.

He also caused shock in 2012 by tweeting: “I only smoke weed when I’m murdering, raping and looting”.

He apologised on Monday over the Armed Forces comments.

He tweeted: “Apols for offence caused by tweet re soldiers on streets. Many will have been remembering loved ones who died and it was insensitive to their loss”. Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, called his comments “unacceptable”. She said: “I immediately called on him to apologise for the offence and distress he has caused. I also called on the local Green party to take disciplinary action.

“Personally I think he should no longer sit alongside the Green Group on the council.

“I have a huge appreciation for the role of the men and women of our armed forces. Cllr Duncan’s comments do not reflect the Green Party’s position or mine.

“Although my own role is separate from that of the city council, I’d like to offer my own sincere apologies for the distress Coun Duncan’s insensitive comments have caused.”

l Bereaved mothers who lost sons in war are “appalled” by the comments.

Some expressed the desire for a sit-down meeting with Coun Duncan.

Jacqui Janes, of Portslade, who lost her son Jamie, of the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards, in Afghanistan in 2009, said: “This man needs sacking now. All the military families are up in arms.

“There are quite a few military mothers in Brighton and he must be aware there are people who have lost their lives from the city.”

She vowed a mass gathering of military families if Mr Duncan does not step down.

Carol Brackpool, 59, from Crawley, who lost her son John, of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, Welsh Guards, in Afghanistan in 2009, said: “I cannot believe people would call our troops killers when they fight for free speech.

“My son went into the army to fight for his Queen and country so people like Ben Duncan can sleep safely in their bed at night.”

Carol Valentine, 55, who lost son Simon, of the 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Afghanistan, said: “A councillor is supposed to represent the public.”

Carol Blackwell's son was either in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment or the Welsh Guards, he can't have been in both. Maybe he was attached to the Welsh Guards, a different situation entirely.

Carol Blackwell's son was either in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment or the Welsh Guards, he can't have been in both. Maybe he was attached to the Welsh Guards, a different situation entirely.mnairb

mnairb wrote:
Carol Blackwell's son was either in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment or the Welsh Guards, he can't have been in both. Maybe he was attached to the Welsh Guards, a different situation entirely.

Sorry, Carol Brackpool.

[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
Carol Blackwell's son was either in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment or the Welsh Guards, he can't have been in both. Maybe he was attached to the Welsh Guards, a different situation entirely.[/p][/quote]Sorry, Carol Brackpool.mnairb

Mr Duncan, it's time you stood down and got a proper job to support your son instead of shamelessly taking our money via allowances while slagging off the people paying you.
You haven't done a jot for the community. You are plain lazy and hiding behind social media to pretend to be busy Tweeting teenage angst-ridden pointless comments. What are you actually doing all day to improve the town?
Stand down and let a councillor who will get off their backside a chance to do some work.

Mr Duncan, it's time you stood down and got a proper job to support your son instead of shamelessly taking our money via allowances while slagging off the people paying you.
You haven't done a jot for the community. You are plain lazy and hiding behind social media to pretend to be busy Tweeting teenage angst-ridden pointless comments. What are you actually doing all day to improve the town?
Stand down and let a councillor who will get off their backside a chance to do some work.Maxwell's Ghost

Maxwell's Ghost wrote:
Mr Duncan, it's time you stood down and got a proper job to support your son instead of shamelessly taking our money via allowances while slagging off the people paying you.
You haven't done a jot for the community. You are plain lazy and hiding behind social media to pretend to be busy Tweeting teenage angst-ridden pointless comments. What are you actually doing all day to improve the town?
Stand down and let a councillor who will get off their backside a chance to do some work.

What is he doing all day? Smoking weed if his past record is anything to go by.

[quote][p][bold]Maxwell's Ghost[/bold] wrote:
Mr Duncan, it's time you stood down and got a proper job to support your son instead of shamelessly taking our money via allowances while slagging off the people paying you.
You haven't done a jot for the community. You are plain lazy and hiding behind social media to pretend to be busy Tweeting teenage angst-ridden pointless comments. What are you actually doing all day to improve the town?
Stand down and let a councillor who will get off their backside a chance to do some work.[/p][/quote]What is he doing all day? Smoking weed if his past record is anything to go by.Max Ripple

Interesting that Caroline Lucas doesn't seem to have a problem with him acting as a press spokeman for the party. This isn't some naive Twitter user who can't count characters - Duncan is a professional media-spinner.

Is he going to be suspended from that paid role by the party? That might tell if they're really taking this seriously - or not.

Interesting that Caroline Lucas doesn't seem to have a problem with him acting as a press spokeman for the party. This isn't some naive Twitter user who can't count characters - Duncan is a professional media-spinner.
Is he going to be suspended from that paid role by the party? That might tell if they're really taking this seriously - or not.fredflintstone1

The Petition to get him Removed has Reached over 1,800 Signatures in
just one day. Apart from Hundreds of Local Residents completing the on line "Make a Complaint about your Councillor" section on the Brighton & Hove City Council website.

Goggle change.org Then look for Remove Councillor Ben Duncan

Ben Duncan should Resign after he's VILE and Insensitive Remarks.
The Petition to get him Removed has Reached over 1,800 Signatures in
just one day. Apart from Hundreds of Local Residents completing the on line "Make a Complaint about your Councillor" section on the Brighton & Hove City Council website.
Goggle change.org Then look for Remove Councillor Ben Duncanclarkebrighton

if Duncan actually turns up to his surgeries wouldn't it be interesting if all Brighton and Hove service families just happened to be there. Not mob handed of course but to discuss things like potholes in the road etc etc etc

if Duncan actually turns up to his surgeries wouldn't it be interesting if all Brighton and Hove service families just happened to be there. Not mob handed of course but to discuss things like potholes in the road etc etc etcNickBrt

Uncle Ruckus (No Relation) wrote:
Of course Duncan won't be removed; he is only voicing in public what the majority off wretched, incompetent and spiteful 'snot' Greens secretly believe

That's precisely what I said on the other thread......he's being 'disciplined' by The Greens for letting the cat out of the bag.

Lucas is angry at him only because she can see votes slipping away next May over this.

I still support Duncan's right to be offensive.

[quote][p][bold]Uncle Ruckus (No Relation)[/bold] wrote:
Of course Duncan won't be removed; he is only voicing in public what the majority off wretched, incompetent and spiteful 'snot' Greens secretly believe[/p][/quote]That's precisely what I said on the other thread......he's being 'disciplined' by The Greens for letting the cat out of the bag.
Lucas is angry at him only because she can see votes slipping away next May over this.
I still support Duncan's right to be offensive.stevo!!

Doubt if he will attend next surgery as public opinion is firmly against this pathetic little man who WAS making a political point. The Green Party are anti war and therefore anti Armed Forces. No party is pro war but some parties are more anti than others!

Doubt if he will attend next surgery as public opinion is firmly against this pathetic little man who WAS making a political point. The Green Party are anti war and therefore anti Armed Forces. No party is pro war but some parties are more anti than others!SussexInfidel01

So which one of you closeted Tory flies round s**t would like to be the first to air a candid opinion about TIM LOUGHTONTMLOUGHTONTI
MLOUGHTONTIMLOUGHTON
TIMLOUGHTON? Your behaviour on this website appears to be an arrogant abuse of power that does not endear myself, as a Tory voter, to your cause at all. Is someone from the local Tories going to be man enough to say that, while they might not agree with Ben Duncan's sentiments, your equally filthy bile is also unacceptable. GROW UP. TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT.

So which one of you closeted Tory flies round s**t would like to be the first to air a candid opinion about TIM LOUGHTONTMLOUGHTONTI
MLOUGHTONTIMLOUGHTON
TIMLOUGHTON? Your behaviour on this website appears to be an arrogant abuse of power that does not endear myself, as a Tory voter, to your cause at all. Is someone from the local Tories going to be man enough to say that, while they might not agree with Ben Duncan's sentiments, your equally filthy bile is also unacceptable. GROW UP. TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT.theargusissoinformative

apart from a fulsome apology, Cllr Duncan should also donate "a day's pay" to one of the many Supporting Charities of Armed Forces Day, listed on http://www.armedforc
esday.org.uk/about.a
spx

apart from a fulsome apology, Cllr Duncan should also donate "a day's pay" to one of the many Supporting Charities of Armed Forces Day, listed on http://www.armedforc
esday.org.uk/about.a
spxRoy Pennington

NickBrt wrote:
if Duncan actually turns up to his surgeries wouldn't it be interesting if all Brighton and Hove service families just happened to be there. Not mob handed of course but to discuss things like potholes in the road etc etc etc

Well said Nick

[quote][p][bold]NickBrt[/bold] wrote:
if Duncan actually turns up to his surgeries wouldn't it be interesting if all Brighton and Hove service families just happened to be there. Not mob handed of course but to discuss things like potholes in the road etc etc etc[/p][/quote]Well said NickIsh1

The Petition to get him Removed has Reached over 1,800 Signatures in
just one day. Apart from Hundreds of Local Residents completing the on line &quot;Make a Complaint about your Councillor" section on the Brighton &amp; Hove City Council website.

Goggle change.org Then look for Remove Councillor Ben Duncan

The petition is only to reprimand him, not to remove him.

I would sign a petition calling for him to be removed but not reprimand, that doesn't go far enough IMO.

[quote][p][bold]clarkebrighton[/bold] wrote:
Ben Duncan should Resign after he's VILE and Insensitive Remarks.
The Petition to get him Removed has Reached over 1,800 Signatures in
just one day. Apart from Hundreds of Local Residents completing the on line "Make a Complaint about your Councillor" section on the Brighton & Hove City Council website.
Goggle change.org Then look for Remove Councillor Ben Duncan[/p][/quote]The petition is only to reprimand him, not to remove him.
I would sign a petition calling for him to be removed but not reprimand, that doesn't go far enough IMO.getThisCoalitionOut

mnairb wrote:
Carol Blackwell's son was either in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment or the Welsh Guards, he can't have been in both. Maybe he was attached to the Welsh Guards, a different situation entirely.

He was with 1PWRR but ATTACHED to the welsh guards when he lost his life

[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
Carol Blackwell's son was either in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment or the Welsh Guards, he can't have been in both. Maybe he was attached to the Welsh Guards, a different situation entirely.[/p][/quote]He was with 1PWRR but ATTACHED to the welsh guards when he lost his lifeCaz1403

mnairb wrote:
Carol Blackwell's son was either in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment or the Welsh Guards, he can't have been in both. Maybe he was attached to the Welsh Guards, a different situation entirely.

He was with 1PWRR but ATTACHED to the welsh guards when he lost his life

[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
Carol Blackwell's son was either in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment or the Welsh Guards, he can't have been in both. Maybe he was attached to the Welsh Guards, a different situation entirely.[/p][/quote]He was with 1PWRR but ATTACHED to the welsh guards when he lost his lifeCaz1403

Got mates on FaceBook taking the mick out of me for voting for this idiot. Never thought I'd get ridiculed for voting Green. Him along with Kitcat have caused untold damage to the Green Party. Go Duncan and go now. PLEASE.

Got mates on FaceBook taking the mick out of me for voting for this idiot. Never thought I'd get ridiculed for voting Green. Him along with Kitcat have caused untold damage to the Green Party. Go Duncan and go now. PLEASE.BrianRoe

SussexInfidel01 wrote:
Doubt if he will attend next surgery as public opinion is firmly against this pathetic little man who WAS making a political point. The Green Party are anti war and therefore anti Armed Forces. No party is pro war but some parties are more anti than others!

You clearly know nothing about the armed forces, do not make the dangerous mistake of marrying the two ideologies together

[quote][p][bold]SussexInfidel01[/bold] wrote:
Doubt if he will attend next surgery as public opinion is firmly against this pathetic little man who WAS making a political point. The Green Party are anti war and therefore anti Armed Forces. No party is pro war but some parties are more anti than others![/p][/quote]You clearly know nothing about the armed forces, do not make the dangerous mistake of marrying the two ideologies togetherOmnishambles_1